As a part of the Centre for Science and Environment's (CSE) campaign to spread awareness about community based rainwater harvesting techniques, the centre has identified twenty one model projects in Delhi. The structures have a distinctive geographical and geological characteristic. CSE has helped in the process of implementation of these and has been monitoring their impact on a regular basis.

There is one being-Indian-thing, which spans the urban-rural and the rich-poor divide: our annual watch and wait for the monsoon. It begins every year, without fail as heat climbs and the monsoon advances. The farmers wait desperately because they need the rain at the right time to sow their crops. The city managers wait because by the beginning of each monsoon period, the reservoirs that supply water to cities are precariously low. All of us wait, in spite of our air-conditioned living, for the relief rain brings to the scorching heat and dust.

CSE is organising a state level workshop on 'Mainstreaming Rainwater Harvesting' between May 9-10, 2013, at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP). The workshop is a part of various activities under Key Resource Centre (KRC) supported by Ministry of Drinking Water, Government of India.

Centre for Science and Environment has been working on promotion of the concept of water harvesting for more than a decade now. CSE started its campaign with the research on traditional systems of water harvesting systems existing across the country. The research was followed by the publication of the book, Dying Wisdom: Rise, Fall and Potential of India’s Traditional Water Harvesting Systems.